Argentinian Dybala followed his midweek Champions League winner over Tottenham with a match-clinching double, as Massimiliano Allegri’s men moved two points clear of Napoli. Gonzalo Higuain missed a first-half penalty, but Juve took another comfortable step towards a seventh consecutive league title.
Fiorentina edged out bottom side Benevento 1-0, with the match stopping in the 13th minute as the players and fans paid tribute to their captain Astori, who died suddenly at the age of 31 last weekend in his hotel room before a game at Udinese. Brazilian Vitor Hugo scored the only goal in the 25th minute, celebrating by making a salute towards a photo of Astori on the side of the pitch. Juventus went into their home clash with Udinese knowing victory would pile the pressure on Napoli ahead of their title rivals’ trip to Inter Milan late last night.
The 24-year-old Dybala continued his excellent run of form by curling a magnificent free-kick into the top corner to give the hosts a 20th-minute lead. Higuain missed a chance to double the advantage before half-time as he saw his spot-kick kept out by Udinese goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri.
But the deadly partnership of Higuain and Dybala, who have scored 42 goals between them in all competitions this season, combined again to finish off the match as a contest. The 30-year-old Higuain used his strength to hold off the Udinese defence, before sliding in Dybala with a clever pass and his compatriot did the rest to net his fourth goal in three matches. Dybala missed a great late chance to complete a hat-trick when he fired wide, but Juve, who host Atalanta in a rearranged match on Wednesday, were never in danger of failing to close out the win. Later on Sunday, Andre Silva came off the bench to head in a dramatic winner as AC Milan bounced back from Thursday’s Europa League loss to Arsenal by edging to a 1-0 win at Genoa.
The Portuguese international directed Suso’s cross into the bottom corner with only five seconds left of added time to draw Gennaro Gattuso’s men within six points of fourth-placed Lazio in the race for the Champions League.
Ciro Immobile earlier grabbed Lazio a 2-2 draw at Cagliari with a stunning equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time. The Italian international striker met Felipe Anderson’s cross with an outrageous backheeled lob to score his league-leading 24th goal of the campaign.
The capital club twice came from behind to secure a point, but can still be replaced in the top four by Inter when Luciano Spalletti’s side take on Napoli.
Sampdoria’s push for a Europa League spot hit a stumbling block as they were thrashed 4-1 at struggling Crotone, while eighth-placed Atalanta edged out
Bologna.
Italian Serie A results
Fiorentina 1 (Vitor Hugo 25) Benevento 0
Bologna 0 Atalanta 1 (De Roon 83)
Cagliari 2 (Pavoletti 25, Barella 74-pen) Lazio 2 (Ceppitelli 35-og, Immobile 90+5)
Crotone 4 (Trotta 6, 37, Stoian 23, Viviano 85-og) Sampdoria 1 (Zapata 70)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 20, 49) Udinese 0
Sassuolo 1 (Babacar 31-pen) SPAL 1 (Antenucci 27)
Genoa 0 AC Milan 1 (Silva 90+4)
Verona 1 (Caracciolo 52) Chievo 0
Roma 3 (Manolas 56, De Rossi 73, Pellegrini 90+3) Torino 0